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Rena Akana
Personality Rena Mei is what many would call an old soul. Extremely insightful and intuitive, she can sometimes appear aloof and overly demanding with regard to others' abilities, a fact noted by many of the music students she teaches. In truth, however, like any good teacher she knows when to push and when to praise, when to pressure and when to encourage, and is always more than willing to offer a kind ear or a shoulder to cry on to those in need. Although a classical musician, her passion is in the more soulful melodies, and she tends to have a rather down-to-earth, straightforward attitude. Despite her constant contact with the supernatural, she does her best to live a normal life, refusing to let any of her impairments -- or gifts -- get the better of her. Sheet Attributes Strength 2, Dexterity 2, Stamina 2 Charisma 3, Manipulation 2, Appearance, 3 Perception 3, Intelligence 3, Wits 3 Abilities Talents: Expression 2, Empathy 2, Sensitivity 4, Insight 2, Integrity 1 Skill: Performance 4 (Cello, Stringed Instruments), Meditation 2, Crafts 1 (Musical Instruments), Etiquette 2 Knowledges: Academics 2 (Music Theory), Occult 2 Characteristics Willpower: 7 Backgrounds: Equipment (3) Cello, Fame (2), Allies (1) Merits: Heightened Hearing and Smell (2), Recognize Garou (2), Medium (2), Concentration (1) Flaws: Blind (6), Mild Phobia - Cockroaches (1) Kinfolk Gifts: Dona Nobis Pacem (7), Sense from Beyond (7) Freebies Kinfolk Gifts (7) Social Attributes 1 dot (5) Skills 2 dots (4) Willpower, 4 dots (4) Backgrounds, 1 dot (1) Explanations Blind: Rena was diagnosed with congenital blindness before she was one year old. In this life, she has never known sight. Heightened Hearing and Sense of Smell: Though visually impaired persons often learn how to better use their other senses, Rena seems to have an even more heightened awareness of Hearing and Smell than normal. Sensitivity: Rena comes from a long line of sensitive women, from both sides of her family, and from a young age heard discussions from her mother, aunts, and maternal grandmother of their experiences with the supernatural, both as Kin and otherwise. She is very in-tune to the supernatural energies around her, able to feel and hear things that others may not. In general, however, Rena has not sought to develop this facet of her being, having in many ways resisted this gift when it has made itself known. Sense from Beyond: Rena has extra-sensory experiences of smell, sound, taste, touch, etc. This can come in the form of anything from vague whispers to feeling like she is at another time and place. The messages are often cryptic and it is not always easy for her to distinguish these perceptions from reality, though in the case of stronger sensations such as suddenly being in a different place, the effect is generally more easily distinguished. Medium: Rena's mind has been open to the supernatural world around her most of her life. Her ability to disbelieve is also lowered by her visual impairment (One cannot doubt the voice of a spirit if one cannot see to realize there is not an actual person there). Her exposure to spirits has been few and far between, and are generally experiences she tends to shy away from, thus she has not sought training for this ability. Performance (Stringed Instruments, Cello): '''Rena is a professional Cellist, currently performing with the Crystal Springs Symphony Orchestra. She is currently looking for a new jazz ensemble. A music teacher, she specializes in cello but has the ability to teach young students of other stringed instruments such as violin and viola. '''Crafts: '''Over the years, Rena has learned to do small repairs on musical instruments, such as sound post adjustments, bow rehairing, etc. '''Fame: Branching out from classical music into jazz-fusion and 'world' music, Rena has made a small name for herself as a member of a jazz quartet, as well as for her beautiful solo performances. More than anything, the young woman is known for the passion with which she plays, almost able to sing emotion through the strings. For performance purposes she generally goes by her first two names "Rena Mei." Allies: '''Rena's manager, Allen Lacrosse, is a hardass when it comes to his opinions, but is reluctantly able to follow Rena's intuition, as it has proven useful in the past. Music Examples: '''Kol Nidrei, Max Bruch Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mgaICZS79Y Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHwINCeAr38&feature=related The Eternal Vow Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLM70it1Xxw&feature=related Mood Indigo, Duke Ellington Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sT1ozaUdFZE History Early Life They say that many of my grandmothers' gifts were passed down to me, though in this life I only ever met one of these great women before she passed on. When my father Nikolao came to the mainland to study a program in Coastal Agriculture, he never thought to stay away from his native Hawai'i. He couldn't have expected at the time that he would meet Anne Marie Luthier, a young and passionate music student from British Columbia, and what's more, a Children of Gaia Kin. It was not exactly love at first sight, for my mother, though stunning with her fine French-Metís features, had an even more truly remarkable voice. Though not his profession, Nikolao was also musically talented, as well as a skilled drummaker. Their courtship lasted for several years, before the music teacher and the engineer finally married, making their home on Victoria Island to be closer to my mother's parents while they were still living. My brother and I were born shortly thereafter, pushed forth into a world filled with love and wonder in the happy home of two very compatible Kin. My brother was given the name Renee Iokopa, and I was named Rena, or "Melody" for my maternal grandmother, because even in the womb my love for music was apparent. Mei, my middle name, was given to honor my father's mother. It was not long after my birth that my mother began to fear that something was wrong with her newborn girl, though her mind was also occupied with my brother. Renee's Baptism of Fire had revealed to the two Kin that they had given birth to a new cub, and he was brought into the Stargazer tribe of my father, while I was named into my mother's tribe. At the age of three months, however, when I still had yet to focus on faces, and toys seemed only to interest me if they came accompanied by bells or rattles, my mother took me and her worries to the doctor, and before the year was out a diagnosis of congenital blindness was confirmed. Having been born into a musical family, however, I was quickly put on the path to finding my lifelong love. Bouncing on top of the piano as my mother played, I grew to adore the beautiful sounds and vibrations that came from within. It was not until I put my hands on a stringed instrument, however, that I found my true place. By the age of six I could already pick out a few scratchy melodies on the cello, and would spend hours listening to the classical music disks my mother had on hand. Gifts and Changes When we were thirteen, Renee's and my world began to change. I was practicing for a recital just before our 14th birthday when my first "vision" came. I felt voices gather around me, whispering and scratching through the cello bow as the air seemed to grow thin. Suddenly all sound seemed to melt away, and I could smell the moist rotting of the deep forest, and feel the soft squish of decaying leaves beneath my feet. A nightingale cooed in the near distance. There was a sudden burst of sound, and something rushed towards me, growling and snarling, before knocking me to the ground, sinking sharp teeth into my shoulder. My mother found me screaming and thrashing on the floor of my room amid a mass of sheet music and a broken cello bow. Having had several Garou brothers, my mother had a Gift for calming down almost any situation, and began to give me instruction in the same. It helped a great deal that through music I had already learned how to transcend the current moment, to let my spirit soar to the beautiful sounds vibrating through the instruments around me. When my "visions" came, I gradually learned to just let the moment wash over and through me, rather than being filled with abject terror. As the next couple of years passed, Renee became more irritable, prone to taking off on his own. It was soon after our sixteenth birthday that our father told us that the Stargazers would be leaving for the east, and that Renee would be sent away before them month was out. My brother was devastated. The next day, as he was preparing to take off to the woods alone, I begged him to let me come with him. It would not be long, after all, before we would no longer have the opportunity to spend time together. Renee relented, but he took off impatiently, clambering through the forest, breaking through branches, still always keeping my hand wrapped tightly in his. As the night grew colder, it became apparent that in his conflicted and turmoiled state he had gotten lost. I could hear the panic and anger rising in his voice, the quickening of his already agitated breath, and suddenly, a strong sensation of Deja-Vu poured over me. The decaying leaves squished beneath our feat. A nightingale call rose into the air. I concentrated on relaxing, feeling the warmth build up inside me. I reached out to envelope Renee in my arms, letting the energy flow into him. I could feel his body shaking violently, and within moments there was the sudden burst of fur against my skin. And then, I was falling, rolling down an embankment, having been thrown backwards as my brother fled. I had no hope of finding my way from the forest alone. The night frost settled in, biting at my limbs, and I felt moisture wash over my feet. Two hands pulled me into a stand, and I suddenly felt the warmth of the sun splash on my face, a salty breeze tugging at my hair. The two women at my side had sturdy, warm hands, and their hair smelled of vanilla and a mixture of sweet blossoms that I could identify, but that calmed and comforted me like whispers from some distant memory. "Our little Rena Mei is growing into a beautiful woman. Remember, we will are always with you. Don't be afraid of what is to come." I didn't really have contact with Renee after that. My parents said that others from the Tribe were able to track him down after his Fox Frenzy, and he was taken East with all the rest. Three months passed, and a letter finally came in the mail. As my mother read it to me, the words sounded distant, aloof, as if my brother were fulfilling a duty rather than any desire for contact. Eventually, the letters petered out and stopped. Soon I had other things to preoccupy my mind. I finished high school and started at the Royal Conservatory in Toronto. The years passed in a whirl of practice sessions, performances, and music students. My mind seemed to have quieted too; the warnings subsided. Until recently. Crystal Springs I've been out of college for a few years now. I have a great job and my solo career is starting to take off. I have wonderful friends, but I recently I've been feeling restless. Empty. The dizzy whirl of symphony concerts, music lessons, and jam sessions for some reason no longer feel fulfilling. I wonder from time to time about Renee, about whether he will ever come home. I know that he can't, but somewhere, deep down, I still have hope that we will run into each other when I least expect it. What's more, two of my quartet-mates have been offered jobs teaching music in northern Alberta, and will soon be moving away from Toronto. Maybe it sounds crazy, but I feel the need to get out of this city. Maybe out of Canada. Just out, in general. But soon, I think I'm going to get the opportunity. I was offered a job recently in Crystal Springs, Colorado, a place that wandered into my life only recently. It was about a month ago that it happened. Lying in bed, I began to doze off, hovering in that realm between dreaming and waking where the mind is open and the space between worlds seems to disappear. The radio was winding down its evening broadcast; sweet, folksy-blues chords streamed through the cool evening air. I recognized the melody, a variation of an old Canadian tune that my mother was fond of singing when I was a child. ".... From this valley they say you are going. We will miss your bright eyes and sweet smile, for they say you are taking the sunshine, that has brightened our path for a while ..." "Rena." I heard my brother's voice call my name, comforting despite its distance. The sound of city traffic filtered in through the window, odd at this normally tranquil hour of the night. I felt a cool breeze touched my cheek, mingled with the hint of mountain air. "Come with me," the voice whispered, "We need to go." As I listened to the words, I realized that the voice was not of my brother, nor of my fathers' whose it had always resembled. I felt his hand upon grip arm, pulling me up. My hand slid into his. Sharp claws pricked at the soft parts of my palm, and as I ran my fingers up his arm, a layer of hard scales covered his flesh. "Where are we going?" I asked. "Renee?" I heard a pained howl in the distance, followed by several agonized cries. The person with me began to run, running so quickly I couldn't keep up. I fell, and as I reached out to support myself a paw took my hand. I felt at its lines, but this hand was not of any ordinary creature. It was twisted and bent, the only lines running through it a deep, jagged spiral. I felt for the creature's arm, and as I realized there was none. The severed paw flexed in my own, and I heard the crackle of fire and felt the sudden flame as the object ignited. The world around me suddenly seared with heat, and as I stumbled forward I heard a mass of cries and shouts, as pain and rage mingled with the smoke that filled the air. I awoke in a cold sweat, my heart throbbing in my chest. I could still feel the heat in my hands as the echoes of those screams died into the distance. "So come sit by my side if you love me. Do not hasten to bid me adieu. Just remember the Red River Valley, and the one who has loved you so true ..." "Well folks," murmured the D.J. "I'll be signing out for the night. That was the Dotsero Trio from Crystal Springs, Colorado with "Red River Valley." And for those of you who might think of visiting the valley of that particular Red River, we've got an announcement here from the Crystal Springs Symphony, currently holding auditions for strings and brass players. But if you aren't lucky enough to live in those parts, we'd recommend you stop in for visit on your next vacation. The local hotsprings are an excellent way to warm up in the winter chill, and we'll be raffling off a pair of tickets for all you Ontarians looking to escape cold this winter." I was still fighting to calm my breathing when the radio clicked off, its snooze function assuming that its mortal owner had by now fallen fast asleep. I guess I shouldn't have been surprised when Allen told me that I had an audition with the Crystal Springs Symphony a couple of weeks later. So anyway, needless to say, I was offered the position of Associate Principal Cellist of the Crystal Springs Symphony Orchestra for the upcoming season. Maybe I'm crazy for wanting to move, but I have this deep, nagging feeling I can't ignore, almost as if a rope were tied to my core, pulling me forward to this unknown destination. My parents have always told me to follow my intuition, as long as it was something I want to do, and my parents are supportive being as Colorado isn't nearly as far away as Toronto. But that "vision" seems ever present in my mind, especially now that I've come to Crystal Springs. Well, we'll see what the future brings. Category:Children of Gaia Category:Kinfolk Category:Current PCs